Phalaenopsis orchid plant named ‘PHALCNIZQ’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of  Phalaenopsis  plant named ‘PHALCNIZQ’, particularly characterized by having purple-pink flowers with a small center and a darker purple lip, 1 to 3 peduncles, an inflorescence that is long and moderate, leaves that are oblong, and is propagated by meristem tissue culture is disclosed.

Genus and species: Phalaenopsis hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘PHALCNIZQ’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Phalaenopsis plant, botanically known as Phalaenopsis of the Orchidaceae family, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘PHALCNIZQ’.

Phalaenopsis comprises a genus of about 60 species of herbaceous perennials many of which, or the hybrids thereof, are suitable for cultivar in the home or greenhouse. Phalaenopsis is predominantly epiphytic or rock dwelling, and is native to tropical Asia, the Malay Archipelago, and Oceania. The species typically has 2-ranked, fleshy, oblong or elliptic leaves affixed to a short central stem (monopodial growth), which vary in size from 12 to 20 cm to over 60 cm. The leaves may be entirely green or mottled with silver grey.

Phalaenopsis orchids, often referred to as ‘Moth Orchids’ in the horticultural trade, are frequently used to furnish cut flowers for the florist trade or sold as flowering potted-plants for home or interiorscape.

Phalaenopsis produces upright or pendent lateral racemes, often with many showy flowers which open in succession beginning with the lowermost. The flowers possess three sepals and three petals; the lateral ones being alike. The lowermost petals, called the labellum, are three-lobed and are often more brightly-colored than the other flower segments. Flower colors include various shades of pink, white, yellow, and red-brown.

Phalaenopsis orchids are typically propagated from seeds. Asexual propagation of Phalaenopsis is often done from off-shoots which arise from the lower bracts of the inflorescence. The resulting plants are detached from the mother plants and may be planted in a suitable substrate.

The new Phalaenopsis ‘PHALCNIZQ’ is particularly characterized by its attractive and unique purple-pink flowers with a small center and darker purple lip, economical propagation by tissue culture, rapid growth, and a plant dimension suitable for packaging and shipping to the market.

‘PHALCNIZQ’ is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands.

The new Phalaenopsis ‘PHALCNIZQ’ originated from a cross made in October 2001 in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands. The female parent is a pink Phalaenopsis pot plant named ‘07830-0002’ (unpatented), while the male parent is a light purple Phalaenopsis pot plant named ‘0001-1276’ (unpatented). A single plant was selected in March 2005 and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly by meristem tissue culture in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands over a 6.5-year period. The new variety has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.

Asexual reproduction of ‘PHALCNIZQ’ by tissue culture was first performed in May 2009 in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands and has demonstrated that the new cultivar is firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this variety have been applied for in Europe on Sep. 29, 2014. ‘PHALCNIZQ’ has not been made publicly available or sold anywhere in the world more than one year prior to the filing date of this application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of this new cultivar when grown under normal horticultural practices in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands.

-   -   1) Purple-pink flowers with a small center and a darker purple         lip;     -   2) 1 to 3 peduncles;     -   3) Inflorescence is long and moderate;     -   4) Shape of the leaf is oblong; and     -   5) Plants are propagated by meristem tissue culture.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

This new Phalaenopsis plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs which show the overall plant habit including blooms, buds and foliage of the plant; the colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. The photographs are of a 50-week old plant grown in a greenhouse in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands in August 2015.

FIG. 1 shows the overall plant habit, including blooms, buds and foliage of ‘PHALCNIZQ’.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of a flower of ‘PHALCNIZQ’.

FIG. 3 shows a close-up of the leaves of ‘PHALCNIZQ’.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘PHALCNIZQ’. The data which define these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 50-week old plants which were planted from a nursery tray in 12 centimeter pots and grown in a greenhouse between 27° C. to 29° C. for 30 weeks, continued by a cooling period of 8 weeks between 18° C. to 20° C. and 12 weeks in a greenhouse of 21° C. Observations were made in August 2015. Color readings were taken under 4-6000 lux natural light in the greenhouse. Color references are primarily to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.) (1995).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Classification:     -   -   Family.—Orchidaceae.         -   Botanical.—Phalaenopsis hybrid.         -   Common name.—Phalaenopsis.         -   Variety name.—‘PHALCNIZQ’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Phalaenopsis cultivar ‘07830-0002’             (unpatented).         -   Male parent.—Phalaenopsis cultivar ‘0001-1276’ (unpatented). -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Meristem tissue culture. -   Plant:     -   -   Crop time (time to produce a finished flowering plant).—48             to 50 weeks for a 12 cm pot.         -   Growth habit of inflorescence.—Standard, green leaves,             panicle.         -   Height (including pot, including inflorescence).—55.0 cm to             65.0 cm.         -   Width (measured from leaf tips).—31.0 cm to 35.0 cm.         -   Vigor.—Moderate. -   Roots:     -   -   Root description.—Grey-green colored roots with branching             lateral roots having greyed-purple colored root tips. -   Leaves:     -   -   Mature leaves.—Quantity per plant: 6 to 8 leaves are             produced before flowering. Length (fully expanded): 16.0 cm             to 19.0 cm. Width: 7.5 cm to 8.5 cm. Shape: Obovate. Base             shape: Moderately elongated. Apex: Unequal obtuse/rounded.             Leaf blade angle with the petiole (measured from the             horizontal position): Between 5 degrees and 35 degrees. Leaf             margin: Entire. Color: Upper surface: RHS 147A. Lower             surface: RHS 147B with diluted greyed-purple edge (RHS             187A). Texture: Rough. Thickness: 2.6 mm to 2.9 mm.             Venation: Pattern: Parallel. Color of the midvein: Upper             surface: RHS 147A. Lower surface: Diluted greyed-purple (RHS             187A). -   Peduncle:     -   -   Quantity per plant.—1 to 3.         -   Number of flowers per peduncle.—12 to 16.         -   Length.—43.0 cm to 53.0 cm.         -   Diameter.—5.3 mm to 5.8 mm.         -   Strength.—Moderate.         -   Aspect.—Upright to slightly pendent.         -   Texture.—Smooth.         -   Color.—Mix of brown (RHS 200A) and green (RHS 147C).         -   Internode length.—50.0 mm to 60.0 mm.         -   Callosities.—None. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Upright to slightly pendent, panicle             inflorescence with bilaterally symmetrical flowers that open             in succession beginning with the lowermost flower.         -   Inflorescence size.—Height (from base to tip): 250.0 mm to             280.0 mm. Diameter: 4.0 mm to 4.3 mm.         -   Flowering time.—First flowers can be expected 10 to 11             months after planting in a 12 cm pot.         -   Flower.—Height: 63.0 mm to 68.0 mm. Diameter: 83.0 mm to             88.0 mm. Depth of lip: 22.0 mm to 24.0 mm.         -   Flower longevity.—On the plant: 6 to 8 weeks.         -   Fragrance.—Absent.         -   Flower bud.—Average size: Medium to large. Length: 20.0 mm             to 22.0 mm. Width: 18.0 mm to 20.0 mm. Shape: Egg shaped.             Color: Mix of light greyed-purple (RHS 186C to 186D and 78D)             and light green (RHS 146B and 195B to 195C).         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Open/free. Shape: Semi-circular. Apex:             Rounded/slightly emarginated asymmetric. Margin: Entire.             Length (from base to tip): 39.0 mm to 41.0 mm. Width: 45.0             mm to 47.0 mm. Color (when fully opened): Upper surface:             Basic color: Purple-pink at the base (RHS 80A) and apex (RHS             76C). Over color: Purple-pink (RHS 80B and 78B). Lower             surface: Basic color: Light purple-pink (RHS 76A) with             slightly darker edge (RHS 80B), and at the base (RHS 80A).             Over color: Absent.         -   Dorsal sepal.—Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Obtuse symmetric.             Margin: Entire. Length (from base to tip): 37.0 mm to             39.0 mm. Width: 25.0 mm to 27.0 mm. Color (when fully             opened): Upper surface: Basic color: Purple-pink (RHS 78B             and 80B) with lighter purple-pink apex (RHS 76B). Over             color: Absent. Lower surface: Basic color: Light purple-pink             (RHS 76C and 80D) with slightly darker edge and base (RHS             80B). Over color: Absent.         -   Lateral sepals.—Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse asymmetric.             Margin: Entire. Length (from base to tip): 38.0 mm to             40.0 mm. Width: 21.0 mm to 23.0 mm. Color (when fully             opened): Upper surface: Basic color: Purple-pink (RHS 80B             and 78B) with lighter apex (RHS 76C). Over color: Slightly             greyed-green at the base (RHS 195B). Lower surface: Basic             color: Light purple-pink (RHS 80D and 76C) with darker edge             (RHS 80B). Over color: Light greyed-green in the middle (RHS             196C).         -   Labellum (lip).—Margin: Entire. Whiskers: Present. Length of             whiskers: 21.0 mm to 23.0 mm. Color of whiskers: Purple-pink             (RHS 78B to 78C) with yellow tips (RHS 10A). Pubescence on             the lip: Absent.         -   Lateral lobe.—Shape: Type V (as described in the             International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of             Plants (UPOV) Test Guidelines for Phalaenopsis); spatulate.             Length (from base to tip): 22.0 mm to 24.0 mm. Width: 16.0             mm to 18.0 mm. Color: Purple-pink (RHS 80A) with red-purple             edge on one side (RHS 71A), white at the base (RHS 155C)             with spots (RHS 59A).         -   Apical lobe.—Shape: Triangular. Length (from base to tip):             20.0 mm to 22.0 mm. Width: 20.0 mm to 22.0 mm. Color:             Purple-pink (RHS 80B) to red-purple at the base (RHS 60B).         -   Callus.—Average size: Large. Height: 0.7 cm to 0.9 cm.             Length: 0.7 cm to 0.8 cm. Width: 0.4 cm to 0.6 cm. Color:             Yellow (RHS 13A and 13B) dotted (RHS 59A). -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Arrangement.—The stamens, style and stigmas are fused into a             single, short structure called the column, possessing one             terminal anther with pollen grains united into pollinia,             which are covered by an anther cap. The stigma is located             under the column behind the pollinia. The ovary is inferior             with three carpels present.         -   Column.—Length: 9.0 mm to 11.0 mm. Diameter: 5.6 mm to             5.9 mm. Color: Light purple-pink (RHS 78C).         -   Pollinia.—Quantity: 2. Size: 1.1 mm to 1.3 mm. Color: Orange             (RHS 25A).         -   Ovary.—Part of the pedicel with small ribs towards the             column. Length: 8.0 mm to 10.0 mm. Diameter: 2.2 mm to 2.4             mm.         -   Pedicel.—Length: 34.0 mm to 36.0 mm. Diameter: 2.8 mm to             3.1 mm. Color: Mix of greyed-purple (RHS 187A) and green             (RHS 146B) from the inflorescence and light purple (RHS 84C)             and greyed-green (RHS 196B and 196C) towards the flower. -   Disease, pest, and stress resistance: No specific resistance or     susceptibility observed. -   Temperature tolerance: Tolerant to a low temperature of 15° C. and a     high temperature of about 30° C.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL AND COMMERCIAL VARIETIES

‘PHALCNIZQ’ differs from female parent plant ‘07830-0002’ (unpatented) in that ‘PHALCNIZQ’ has shorter whiskers with small spots that are nearly invisible, whereas ‘07830-0002’ has longer whiskers with larger spots. Additionally, ‘PHALCNIZQ’ has a lateral lobe that is spotted, whereas ‘07830-0002’ has a lateral lobe that is both striped and spotted.

‘PHALCNIZQ’ differs from male parent plant ‘0001-1276’ (unpatented) in that ‘PHALCNIZQ’ has petals that are open/free and a medium curvature of the lateral lobe, whereas ‘0001-1276’ has petals that are touching or almost touching and a strong curvature of the lateral lobe. Additionally, ‘PHALCNIZQ’ has whiskers with yellow tips, whereas ‘0001-1276’ has whiskers with white tips.

‘PHALCNIZQ’ differs from commercial variety ‘PHALCIMEI’ (unpatented) in that ‘PHALCNIZQ’ has lateral sepals that are even at the base and a dotted lateral lobe of the lip, whereas ‘PHALCIMEI’ has lateral sepals that are dotted at the base and a striped lateral lobe of the lip. Additionally, ‘PHALCNIZQ’ has shorter whiskers than ‘PHALCIMEI’. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Phalaenopsis plant named ‘PHALCNIZQ’, substantially as described and illustrated herein. 